1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to orthodontic appliances for exerting controlled corrective force against a patient's teeth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, various appliances have been developed for exerting controlled corrective force to a patient's teeth to straighten the patient's teeth and the like. See, for example, Traiger, U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,907; Waldman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,934; Blechman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,271; Noble, U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,915; Nelson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,973; and Smiley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,030. None of the above patents disclose or suggest the present invention.
A typical orthodontic appliance employed for the purpose of exerting a corrective force on certain teeth in order to correct the position of the teeth in relation to other teeth commonly includes a plurality of substantially block-like members often referred to as tubes or brackets for being fixedly attached to a patient's teeth in various manners such as by way of adhesive, or the like, and an arch wire for being attached to the brackets to exert a controlled force therethrough. The arch wire may be attached to the brackets in various manners, such as by way of ligatures, to tie the arch wire to the bracket, clamps, detachable screws and the like.